1. Field of the Invention
At least one preferred embodiment of this invention relates to a computer controlled, internal combustion engine designed to operate on a six-stroke cycle, wherein water is injected into each of the one or more cylinders during a predetermined portion of the six-stroke cycle depending upon the energy content within the cylinder subsequent to ignition of the conventional air-fuel mixture. The residual heat from the ignited air-fuel mixture serves to convert the injected water into steam on a controlled basis, thereby creating an auxiliary power stroke. Additional embodiments also comprise structural and operational modifications for the recovery of wasted energy from the IC engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that for over a hundred years the internal combustion (IC) engine was and is the dominating source of power for motorized vehicles. Other than rotary engines, the typical IC engine incorporates a plurality of piston and cylinder assemblies each of which includes a cylinder having a piston reciprocally mounted therein and wherein a combustible fluid, such as an air-fuel gaseous mixture, is forced into the interior of the cylinder, compressed and subsequently ignited. The ignition of the combustible fluid causes a significant expansion of gases within the cylinder, resulting in the piston being forced downwardly within the cylinder and thereby, defining what is commonly known as a “power stroke”. The piston is drivingly connected to a crank shaft which is drivingly connected to the remainder of the drive train associated with the motorized vehicle.
Over the years, numerous attempts have been made to increase the efficiency of IC engines, while at the same time protecting the environment by eliminating or significantly reducing the exhausting of pollutants into the surrounding atmosphere. Attempts to protect the environment have resulted in significant improvements in exhaust systems, fuel compositions and other operational components of modern IC engines, which sometimes derogatorily affect the efficiency or performance characteristics of such engines. Other attempts to improve the performance of IC engines, without harming the environment, have the included the design of an IC engine which operates on a six-stroke cycle. In such designs, the first four strokes function as a conventional internal combustion engine and include an intake stroke, compression stroke, power stroke and exhaust stroke. The last two strokes of the six-stroke cycle include the injection of water into the combustion chamber for purposes of converting the water to steam by using the residual heat remaining therein. The expansion of the steam is intended to provide an additional power stroke, without additional fuel or combustible fluid being supplied. However, for the most part, such known attempts have failed to provide an internal combustion engine capable of operating on a six-stroke cycle, which is sufficiently efficient and effective for wide spread commercial use.
In order to understand the problems associated with the effective development of an IC engine of the type set forth above, it is important to understand the relationship between water, steam, temperature and pressure, all of which are governed by the laws of thermodynamics, and more specifically, by what are commonly referred to as the “Steam Tables”. Based on these laws, it is well recognized that in a closed container or system, for example, heated water will be maintained in a liquid state at a temperature of 297 degrees Fahrenheit, only as long as the pressure is maintained at a minimum of 50 PSI. However, if the heated water were suddenly to be released from the closed container into atmosphere it would immediately “flash” into steam due to the significant drop in pressure. The reason for this instant conversion into steam is because the water has sufficient latent heat for the steam conversion and no longer has to absorb heat from an external source.
Prior attempts to take advantage of the force generated when the water converts to steam in the combustion chamber or cylinder an IC engine have, for the most part, failed due to the fact that the water was injected and allowed to convert or “flash” into steam at the wrong time during the six-stroke cycle. Allowing all of the water injected into a cylinder to simultaneously flash into steam would most probably result in damage to the engine due to the “instant” expansion force created. Rather than developing a power stroke in the engine, such an expansive force would have a tendency to crack the engine block or cause a failure in the seals between the piston and the interior surface of the cylinder. Accordingly, it is believed by the inventor hereof that in order to develop an efficient IC engine incorporating the conversion of injected water into steam, the conversion should be controlled and take place continuously or gradually over the duration of a specific predetermined portion of the six-stroke cycle, rather than instantaneously upon injection of the water into the cylinder.
The failure of previous attempts at water to steam conversion is further evidenced by an explanation of the ignition of a conventional air-fuel mixture in a conventional IC engine. More specifically, after the air-fuel mixture is compressed and ignited, the mixture burns and expands, thereby supplying a continuous force which drives the piston the length of the cylinder resulting in a “power stroke”. This happens because the combustion of the air-fuel mixture occurs on a substantially continuous basis as the piston travels the length of the cylinder during the power stroke. All of the force or power resulting from the ignition of the air-fuel mixture is not released or exerted on the piston at one point in time. Therefore, it is believed by the inventor hereof that the control of the conversion of water into steam should similarly occur on a continuous rather than an instantaneous basis in order for such conversion to produce an effective and efficient additional power stroke in a six-stroke cycle.
Another characteristic common to known attempts to develop a six-stroke cycle IC engine is the premature exhausting of the conventional air-fuel mixture after it has been ignited. It is generally accepted that approximately 30% of the energy (heat) of the fuel charge is lost in the exhaust gases due to inherent designs of known or substantially conventional IC engines. However, if the exhaust gases can be maintained within the cylinder and properly mixed with a quantity of water being injected, the heat energy still remaining in the previously ignited fuel charge can be utilized to add another power stroke, occurring upon the conversion of water into steam within the cylinder.
Based on the above, there is a significant and recognized need for the development of an improved internal combustion engine which is capable of efficiently operating on a six-stroke cycle which includes the development of an additional power stroke through the injection of water into the cylinder or combustion chamber and the conversion of water into steam. The water to steam conversion should occur on a controlled basis and be at least partially dependent on the energy content within the cylinder, subsequent to ignition of a conventional air-fuel mixture and prior to the ignited air-fuel mixture being exhausted. Any such improved internal combustion engine should preferably have the injection of water and its conversion into steam controlled by a computer assembly or central processor, properly programmed in accordance with the related laws of thermodynamics and the conversion of water to steam in accordance with the “Steam Tables”.
Moreover, recent attempts have been made, particularly in the motor vehicle industry to develop a vehicle capable of being operated by a power generating assembly incorporating alternative sources of power. Such vehicles and their associated engines or power generating assemblies are commonly known as hybrid vehicles or vehicles incorporating a “hybrid power-train”. Commercially available vehicles incorporating hybrid power-trains include the Toyota™ Insight™ and the Honda™ Prius™. An operative advantage of these vehicles includes the fact that they are considered charge sustaining, gasoline/electric hybrids. This means that these vehicles do not require the recharging of the battery assembly associated therewith from a conventional, typically stationary, electrical power source. To the contrary both vehicles charge their individual battery assemblies from energy that would otherwise be wasted. However it is important to note that the charging facilities associated with the power-trains of these vehicles use gasoline as their sole external source of energy.
Further advantages of hybrid vehicles which incorporate electric technology are that the gasoline engine and the electric motor are each used for what they do best. More specifically, the gasoline engine is available for long range travel in that it uses gasoline as its high density power source. To the contrary, the electric motor allows for efficient capturing and reusing excess energy without requiring prolonged downtime for recharging at the aforementioned type of stationary recharging stations. The end result is a savings of gasoline utilized by hybrid vehicles of this type, thereby possibly providing a significant reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels, which of course is a major concern throughout the world.
Therefore, assuming that hybrid vehicles may become increasingly popular to the consuming public and as such proliferate, there is also a significant need for a hybrid vehicle providing even a greater operational efficiency and that capable of hybrid vehicles of the type set forth above. Moreover, there is a significant and long recognized need for a power generating assembly adaptable for use in motor vehicles which incorporates alternative sources of power. An improved power generating assembly of the type referred should be capable of accomplishing a recognizable increase in efficient operation at least partially through the use of a water to steam conversion process. In addition such a conversion process may best be controlled by a computer assembly or a central processor properly programmed in accordance with the related laws of thermodynamics. As such, an improved hybrid vehicle incorporating the principles as set forth above would utilize an internal combustion and an electric motor assembly connected in driving relation to the power takeoff of the vehicle. In addition, a second power source other than the internal combustion engine could be structured to directly power a source of electric energy incorporating both a generator and a battery assembly facility connected to and supplying electrical energy directly to the electric motor assembly.
In addition, variations of an improved hybrid vehicle incorporating an internal combustion engine and electric motor assembly or otherwise electrically powered drive train, could be more efficiently powered, at least in part, by the recovery of waste energy in the form of heat, conventionally and purposefully removed from the IC engine during its period of operation. Such an improved system and method for recovering wasted heat energy would overcome many of the disadvantages and problems in prior art attempts directed to the improvement in operating efficiency of a hybrid assembly as set forth above.
Previous attempts to make use of wasted energy, primarily in the form of heat, which is purposefully removed from the IC engine block by conventional cooling systems include water injection and a combination of water injection and hybrid technology such as described above and at least in part in U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,651 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,749 to the inventor herein. However, utilization of wasted heat energy through the recovery thereof can be additionally accomplished in a manner which significantly improves the efficiency and operating performance and which can be adapted to a variety of other systems intended and structured for the recovery of wasted energy from IC engines.